A celebration held in world capitals at various stages in a business cycle: in the expansion and at the peak of economic growth it tends to be better known as "a sure fire investment opportunity." It involves handing over large quantities of cash to a tanaholic guy considered a real investment maven by people on the golf course and - this is the crucial part of the ritual - not asking any questions about what said maven is going to do with it.

On the downside of the business cycle, it involves losing said cash, and possibly also the keys to the fancy car, house, pants, and most of all the dignity once presumed of every human in a finely tailored suit, which is to say that they're sentient and not from the planet Moronia.